by SJ McCoy
When they rounded the corner and she saw the limo, she chuckled.
“What’s funny?”
“Do you remember the first time I saw you?”
He nodded. “Before you came into the center for the interview.”
“Yeah. I thought you were a chauffeur.”
“I drive for Oscar sometimes.”
“Why? Oh, you know what. I’m sorry. Don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter why. It was just curiosity that popped out before I could stop it. I didn’t mean anything.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to suspect you of angling for a story with every question you ask.” He met her gaze. “Unless that’s what you’re here for?”
She shook her head rapidly. “No. I’m not. I give you my word. I told Alan he could fire me if he wanted to, but there was no way I was coming tonight as a reporter.”
She looked so earnest. She meant it. He knew she did. “So why did you come?”
She bit her bottom lip and looked up into his eyes, then she shrugged. He shouldn’t have put her on the spot like that, but when she answered, he was glad he had. “Why does any girl ever go on a date?”
That was the kind of answer he didn’t know he’d been hoping for. They crossed the road, and he held the door of the limo open for her. As she slid in past him, he murmured, “Looks like we’re both here for the right reasons.”
~ ~ ~
“What do you mean?” Dani asked as he got in and sat beside her.
He turned to her with a smile, and while he searched for words, she had time to study his handsome face. He was gorgeous. His light green eyes looked troubled. There was a little crease between his brows that he rubbed two fingers over as if trying to make it go away. If that was what he was doing, it worked. He smiled and let his hand drop to his side, all the while looking deep into her eyes. He leaned toward her, and his hand came back up, this time to cup her cheek. Her heart started to race, and she leaned in to meet him. She lifted her lips to meet his, and when they did, a wave of excitement rushed through her. Her whole body tingled. It was only a meeting of lips. His felt warm as they brushed over hers, and it was over almost as soon as it had begun.
He leaned back, his hand still cupping her cheek. “I meant, why does any guy ever go on a date?”
Wow! When she’d said why does any girl, she’d wanted to let him know that she wasn’t here because of the magazine and she wasn’t here because of the bachelor auction. She was here because she liked him, and she wanted to go out with him. Judging by that kiss and by the hint of a smile playing on his lips, he was telling her the same thing.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make the best first impression.”
She smiled. “That’s not fair. My first impression of you was very favorable.”
He smiled back. “Mine too, but I know I set us back when you came into the center.”
She shrugged. “That’s okay. We’ve moved past that, haven’t we?”
He nodded. “I should warn you though, I’m still a little wary.”
“That’s okay. It’s understandable. I promise you I mean well, and that’s all I can do.”
“And I’ll do my best to take you at your word.”
“Great. And now that that’s out of the way, tell me about tonight. Is Mastro’s a regular place for you?”
He shook his head slowly. “Is it for you?”
“No. I mean, I’ve been there before, but for work. It’s not somewhere I’d normally go.”
“Me neither.”
“Did Oscar choose it?”
“Yeah. He thought it would be good.” He pursed his lips and looked out the window.
Dani wondered what he was thinking, but he didn’t say anything for a while, and soon they were pulling up in front of the restaurant.
The driver came to open her door, and TJ let himself out the other side and came around to meet her.
“Have a great evening.” The way the driver spoke seemed like he and TJ were friends, but then, they probably were if TJ worked as a driver, too. She wondered why he did that. Maybe he’d explain. At this point, he was still mostly a mystery to her. She knew he was good-looking; she knew he was sweet with little kids; and that he looked out for his elderly friend in a wheelchair. That was enough for her at this point. Hopefully she’d get a chance to learn more tonight—and hopefully, tonight wouldn’t be the only chance she got.
“Thanks, Darren. Are you staying or coming back?”
The driver shrugged. “Whichever you prefer.”
TJ looked at her and back at the driver. “What’s better for you? Just tell me, and we can work with it.”
The driver shook his head. “It’s all good.”
TJ scowled at him, and Dani had to hide a smile. It seemed he knew how to get him to answer.
The driver glanced at her and then looked back at TJ. “All right. I wouldn’t mind going home to check on Noah. He’s been off school sick, and he’s not a happy little guy.”
“Jesus. Why didn’t you tell me? I could have driven myself!”
Darren shook his head. “It’s fine. He’s with his momma. I only told you because you asked. If you know you’re going to be here for a couple of hours, I can run home and then come back out to pick you up later.”
“No. You can go on home right now, and you stay there. We’ll be fine. We can take a cab later.”
“No way. You’re not taking a cab.”
Dani watched the two men stare at each other. If she wasn’t privy to the conversation, she might have thought they were squaring off ready to fight.
“Go home.”
Darren was the first to look away, and when he did, he smiled at Dani. “Sorry about this.”
She shook her head. “Don’t be. Please. I agree with TJ, you should go. We can catch a cab. It’s no big deal. I wasn’t expecting a limo anyway.”
“Which is part of the reason why you should have one.” He looked back at TJ. “I’ll go, but what time do you want me back?”
“I don’t.”
Darren rolled his eyes. “Come on, TJ.”
TJ shook his head. “I’m not backing down.”
Darren rubbed his hand across his face.
They were at a standoff, and it looked to Dani as if it might last all night.
TJ looked at her. “Do you want to go inside, and I’ll catch up with you in a minute?”
She really didn’t.
His expression softened. “I’m sorry. Am I screwing this up?”
She laughed. “The only thing you’re screwing up is not getting through to Darren here that we’re more concerned about his little boy than we are about being chauffeured around.” She turned to Darren with a smile. “Please? Go home and don’t come back. For my sake?”
Darren laughed. “That’s not fair.”
She smiled. “Life isn’t fair, is it? At least, in this case, it’s going in your favor, if you’ll let it. Take the limo. Go. We’ll be fine. I promise.”
Darren shook his head. “How about I take a cab and leave the limo? I’d feel better about that.”
Dani looked at TJ. That’d mean he couldn’t have a drink, but by his smile, she’d guess that wasn’t a problem.
“Deal,” he said.
Darren handed him the keys and looked around. They’d been blocking the drop-off lane for a good few minutes while they argued about it, and a valet was heading toward them waving his arms and looking none too pleased.
“Uh-oh. He looks pissed,” Dani said before she thought about what she was saying.
TJ laughed. “Doesn’t he? That’s what I hate about places like this. They look down their noses at you and treat you like a piece of … crap, and then kiss your ass when they know who you are.”
Dani nodded. “I couldn’t agree with you more. They treated me like crap last time I was here and then laid it on thick when they realized I was a reporter.”
TJ smiled at
her as the valet came closer. “Do you even want to eat here, or shall we go someplace else?”
She grinned. “Let’s go!”
TJ handed the keys back to Darren. “You drive to your house, and we’ll take it from there.”
Darren laughed, and they all scrambled back into the limo as the irate valet bore down on them.
“You need to move this vehicle, sir! You’re blocking all access.”
TJ put his window down as Darren pulled away. “Don’t worry. We’re leaving, and can you tell the front desk to cancel the reservation in the name of Davenport?”
The valet stopped in his tracks. “Mr. Davenport! Wait. Please.”
TJ lifted one hand in a wave and then put the window back up.
Dani had to laugh.
“You’re sure you don’t mind? Oscar said you’d like it there.”
“Oscar doesn’t know me. This is much more fun. We get Darren home to his son, and then we can do whatever we like. We can drop the limo off somewhere if you like so that you can have a drink later.”
“I don’t need one.” He smiled. “We’ll figure something out.”
When they arrived at Darren’s place, he put down the little window and turned to look through it at them. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it, but you know you’re both under pressure now to have a great time, or I’ll feel guilty as hell.”
“Hey, it’s not your responsibility,” said Dani.
TJ smiled. “And you’ve got no worries. We’re going to have a great time.” He looked at her. “Aren’t we?”
She nodded. She had a feeling they were.
Chapter Nine
TJ looked over at her. She was beautiful, and if it was possible, she looked even more beautiful now than she had earlier. Now, she was relaxed, sitting in the passenger seat while he drove.
“What’s your favorite thing to eat?” he asked. He still felt a little guilty that she wouldn’t get the fancy dinner, but he believed her that she hadn’t been all that interested in it anyway.
“Cotton candy.”
He laughed. “Cotton candy it is, then.”
She laughed with him. “Oh, you meant my favorite kind of food? Like Mexican or Chinese, so we can have that for dinner? It’d be a close call between Mexican or Thai.”
He nodded. “But you answered without hesitation that your favorite food is cotton candy, so we have to find you some.” And he knew just where they could.
“Good luck with that.”
He smiled and took the next left. “Do you have a curfew?”
She laughed. “Not for the last ten years or so. Why?”
“Do you mind how late we stay out?”
“No. I have the day off tomorrow. I can sleep in if I need to.”
“Good. And do you trust me?”
She turned to look at him, and he glanced over at her. “Absolutely.”
His heart clenched in his chest. At that moment, he wanted to prove to her that he was worthy of her trust. “Okay, then.”
He joined the freeway, and she laughed. “Dare I ask where we’re going?”
“To get you Mexican food and cotton candy.”
“From?”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough.”
It didn’t take her long. “Santa Monica? We’re going to the pier?”
He nodded. “If you want to?”
“Yes! I love it. I was only thinking the other day that I could do with getting out of the city for a while, and when I get like that, but can’t go anywhere, I usually come to the beach. I probably would have come this weekend at some point.”
~ ~ ~
“I know you weren’t looking forward to fancy, so how do you feel about Mariasol for dinner?”
Dani grinned as they walked toward the pier. “It’s only one of my favorite places. The food’s so good.”
TJ smiled and took her by surprise as he took hold of her hand. “Do you think we’re maybe a little overdressed?”
She hadn’t thought about it, but yes, they undoubtedly were. As they walked out onto the pier, most people were in shorts and T-shirts, some still in bathing suits, while he wore a suit and she had on her evening dress. She shrugged. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
“I don’t mind one bit.”
It was busy in the restaurant, but they got a table quite quickly, and the staff was super-attentive, bringing them menus along with water and chips and salsa within minutes of them sitting down.
Dani felt bad that he wouldn’t be able to have a drink, but he ordered a soda without batting an eyelid. She did the same. She wasn’t much of a drinker anyway.
“Sorry we didn’t get to do cocktails.”
She smiled. “I’m not. This is so much more enjoyable to me.”
“You’re not just saying that?”
“Nope. To tell you the truth, I’m grateful to Darren. I was kind of dreading spending the evening at Mastro’s. It’s a bit snooty for my taste.”
“Yeah, mine too. But Oscar suggested it, and I thought … I dunno.” He held her gaze for a moment. “I suppose maybe I wanted to impress you.”
Wow. He was turning out to be full of surprises—all of them good. In her experience, a guy would never normally admit that he was trying to impress a girl. They were usually so focused on whatever goal they’d set themselves that they didn’t even notice when she got pissed off with it. “You already impress me by being you. Taking me to a fancy restaurant isn’t something that ranks highly on my list of priorities.”
“What is, then? I don’t see how I could have impressed you so far.”
She smiled. He wasn’t fishing for compliments. He meant it. He didn’t know how he came across. To be fair, he couldn’t know all the things she’d observed him doing. “I’m not buttering you up. I mean it. Just tonight. With Darren. A lot of guys would have been more concerned with impressing their date.”
TJ shook his head. “Sorry, but—”
She held her hand up. “Exactly! Getting him home to his little boy was more important to you—and if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t be very impressed at all.”
He nodded but didn’t look convinced.
“I swear. I’m not bullshitting you. I’ve seen the way you are with the kids at the center. I’ve seen the way you are with Terry. You might not think it’s anything special, you’re just living by your values, but I can tell you, your values show what kind of man you are, and you, sir, are an admirable one.” She finished with a rueful smile. “Sorry. I can get a bit adamant when I believe in what I’m saying.”
The waiter came back to take their order, and when he’d left, TJ smiled at her. “Do you date much?”
She shook her head. “No. Now and then, but …” She shrugged. “You?”
“No.”
Hmm, that line of conversation was going nowhere. She didn’t want to ask him much of anything, for fear that he might think she was fact gathering.
They sat in awkward silence for a little while until their food came.
“Did you grow up here?” he asked.
“No, I grew up in Carmel.”
“It’s pretty up there.”
“It is. So’s Montana.”
He smiled. “Are we crazy? To leave two of the prettiest places in the country to live in one of the biggest cities.”
“Maybe. Sometimes I get the urge to get out, even if it’s only for a couple of days. I mean, this.” She gestured through the window at the ocean. “It’s beautiful, I love it, but there’s no place you can go and not have a dozen other people within a ten-foot radius of you.”
He smiled. “You’re right. I never thought of that before, but it’s true. There aren’t many places you can be truly alone here.”
She nodded. “Even on the beach. I love to walk the beach, and I love to swim, but it’s not as much fun when you’re doing it elbow to elbow with a hundred other people.”
“I hear you.
~ ~ ~
TJ watched her as she ate. This was awkward. He couldn’t relax. Couldn’t let his guard down. When he did, it was fun. Riding away from Mastro’s, he’d felt like they were friends. But sitting here, he was … nervous. That was it. And that was dumb.
The conversation sputtered along while they finished their meal. Once he’d paid, they made their way back outside. He had a decision to make. He could get her some cotton candy and take her home—drop her off and say goodbye, it was nice knowing you, or he could get her the cotton candy and see if she wanted to walk the beach with him. Maybe they’d both be able to relax out in the fresh air.
Once they were outside, she smiled up at him. “That was great, thanks. So much better than Mastro’s would have been.”
He nodded. He might as well ask. “Have I bored you enough?”
She laughed. “I thought I was boring you! We can go now, if you want?”
“I don’t want. I want to get you cotton candy and walk on the beach and talk, get to know each other. But if I already screwed up—if you want to go—I’ll take you home.”
To his surprise, she linked her arm through his. “Let’s go walk on the beach. The salt air’s good for your soul. It might make us both chill enough that we can actually enjoy this.”
He smiled. “Okay. Do you want the cotton candy?”
“Nah, I’m stuffed. And besides, this way you can owe me some, and we can get it another time.”
When they reached the sand, she kicked her shoes off, and he did the same. If he’d felt over-dressed before, he felt even more so now. They walked out to the water’s edge, and she hiked her skirt up. “Paddle with me?”
She was so happy, almost childlike in her enthusiasm. She looked more beautiful than ever with the breeze ruffling her hair and the sun shining behind her. He looked down at his pants, and she made a face.
“I didn’t have you down as the type who’d mind getting wet.”
“I’m not.” He rolled up the bottoms and walked in the water beside her.